Half of teachers (50%) fear that Brexit will distract the Government from dealing with the real issues the country faces including pressing education issues.

Two in five teachers (41%) also said they were worried that Brexit will have a negative impact upon the education system (just 12% think it will have positive one), while 43% are worried about its impact upon teachers’ job security.

Alarmingly, a fifth (18%) reported hearing about or experiencing foreign born colleagues being verbally abused about their nationality on school premises since the Brexit vote.

These are among the key findings from a survey of 800 British teachers conducted by research consultancy ComRes, commissioned by the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union.

Other findings include:

49% of teachers believe that schools have an important role in preparing students for Brexit but 54% of teachers feel unsupported in discussing Brexit with their students

60% are worried about the impact of Brexit upon investment in schools.

29% believe Brexit will place even more pressure on their already excessive workload

54% are worried about Brexit’s impact on future job opportunities for family and friends who are not teachers

50% believe that Brexit is distracting the Government from the real issues in the country, including education and the NHS.

Commenting, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said:

“This research demonstrates the genuine concern amongst teachers about what Brexit will mean for their jobs, working conditions and rights at work.

“The survey suggests that the recruitment and retention crisis which is engulfing schools will not be addressed if Brexit results in reduced levels of investment in education.

“The research confirms that schools and teachers need immediate support in order to help educate today’s children and young people for a future where the UK is no longer a member of the European Union.

“With one in five teachers reporting witnessing or experiencing foreign-born colleagues being subjected to verbal abuse because of their nationality, it is also abundantly clear that urgent action is needed to demonstrate that such abuse is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”